Fulton County man recovers from coronavirus after spending weeks in the ICU

ATLANTA - A Fulton County man is thankful to be alive after spending weeks in the ICU at Grady Memorial Hospital. 

Juan Martin went to the emergency room on April 4, two weeks after he started feeling sick from what he thought was the flu. 

"It scared me so bad because I went to the emergency room and they did a little test and they said, 'you have corona,'" Martin said. 

Martin was told he came to the hospital just in time. His body was starting to shut down. 

"I woke up with tubes everywhere, in my nostrils, in my neck. It was just scary, really," Martin said. 

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Martin was in the ICU on a ventilator. He had blood clots and his kidneys weren't functioning.. 

Twenty-three days after walking into the emergency room, Martin got the news he'd been waiting for. 

"The next thing I know, the doctor came in and said, 'You ready to go home?'"

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Martin left the hospital Monday afternoon and according to two tests, he's coronavirus free.

Martin said, like others, he didn't really think he'd have to worry about the virus. He's a relatively healthy man in his 50's. 

"I just felt like 'Hey, I'm ok. I don't have to worry about this.' And it's sad to say that I thought it was a fake thing, elderly people. I hate that that's what the saying is. But I have to say, it has no age on it," Martin said. 

He said he's to be alive and thankful for the team at Grady and the power of prayer. 

"If your family is going through it, and you can't reach them. just send them prayers up. Be strong for them," Martin said. 

RELATED: CoronavirusNOW.com, FOX launches national hub for COVID-19 news and updates.

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